Dear friends

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I have just completed cycling 400 km around Cornwall, which I would like to dedicate to the Motor Neurone Disease Association. I didn’t do all the cycling in one go, but over the last few months, I crossed over from Devon, where I live, and cycled 19 different routes, researching a cycling guide I’m writing, for BRADT Travel guides. From short circuits of Tamar and Siblyback lakes, to longer hauls around the Lizard and Land’s End, and from coast to coast, from Penzance to St Ives and from Portreath to Devoran.

About halfway through though, I got tired and began to
question what was the point of me pedalling around the countryside in circles, while the world was in the grip of a pandemic. But then I heard about rugby player Kevin Sinfield, who ran seven marathons for his former Leeds Rhinos team mate, Rob Burrows, who has motor neurone disease. This reminded me that a close friend of mine from our uni days had died of MND a few years ago. Helena was married to Tom and was a loving mother of four children. She was one of the most creative, talented and energetic women I’ve ever known. But Helena contracted motor neurone disease in her late 40s and succumbed in just a few short years.

Despite being confined to a wheelchair in the latter stages though, Helena stayed positive and even wrote a couple of children’s books, something that she had always vowed to do. So, thinking about Kevin Sinfield’s amazing fundraising efforts and about my dear friend Helena, I revived my energy for the cycling and finished my last route, near Bude, just before Christmas.

What I did hardly compares to multi-marathons, I know. But I
also know that many people around the country are doing what they can to help worthy causes. So, I would be very grateful if you could help too, and make a donation to the Motor Neurone Disease Association. This medical charity does great work to help people with MND and to fund research into curing the terminal condition (more details above).

Whatever little you can afford will be hugely appreciated. If
now is not a good time for you to be making donations, though, I quite understand. I know that everyone is struggling at the moment just to get by.

BUT … I’m hoping to do another and possibly more adventurous bike ride later in the year, with a group of friends. So, either way, please keep an eye out, here on justgiving.com or Facebook - probably both.

Thank you so much

Huw